The Eurocalin Consortium, comprising 10 companies and universities from across Europe, has taken up a project on development and manufacture of an Anticalin therapeutic, which will be largely funded by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme.

Anticalins are novel, next generation therapeutic proteins designed to bind and antagonize a wide spectrum of ligands.

They derived from human lipocalins, designed to solve the pharmacological and pharmaceutical limitations of both protein- and non-protein-based drug platforms.

The Consortium will develop, manufacture and clinically test an Anticalin specific for hepcidin, a small iron homeostasis regulating peptide circulating in human blood, which is a key target for the treatment of multiple types of anemia.